Good News, New Yorkers: You Might Get Your Sandy Repair Money After All

April 25, 2013

At the beginning of this month, Sandy relief dollars ($1.77 billion, to be exact) from Washington began to trickle in to the metropolitan area. But there was a tiny issue: the money would only go to future development–not repairs for past damages.

Remember this? It was a policy that separated New York City from Long Island, where repair money was available to residents. By just crossing a tiny border, you were unable to receive money to pick up the pieces from Mother Nature’s wrath, one that was totally out of your control.

Well apparently it pissed way too many people off. What a surprise!

After the hoi polloi submitted about 400 angry comments in a 14-day span, along with a very heated letter from Senator Chuck Schumer, city officials have changed their mind. Barring federal Department of Housing and Urban Development approval, the city has indicated that it would change the conditions under which the funds will be dispersed to cover “qualifying homeowners” in one-to-four family households.